Young Minds New Ideas Project is Expanding to Cyprus

The 15th edition of the 'Young Minds New Ideas' project, carried out in cooperation between the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTHK) and the Informatics Association of Turkey (TBD), is being launched in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for the first time this year.

To mark the launch of the project, an information meeting was held at the BTHK building, bringing together university representatives and informatics sector stakeholders.

BTHK Chairman Dr. Kadri Bürüncük: “Youth’s Innovative Ideas are Critical for the Country’s Digital Future

 

Delivering the opening remarks of the meeting, Dr. Kadri Bürüncük, Chairman of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, expressed his pride in supporting informatics projects as an institution. Highlighting the long-standing and strong cooperation with the Informatics Association of Turkey, Bürüncük stated the following:

“Organizations like this, which allow young people to showcase their innovative ideas, are of great importance. We are delighted to bring this project, which has been successfully sustained across Türkiye, to Cyprus this year. Within the scope of the event, students will have the chance to exhibit and present their projects.”

High Interest in the Event

Tayfun Aydınlı, Vice Chairman of BTHK, stated that all university officials attending the meeting showed great interest in the project. Aydınlı summarized the main objective of the project with the following words:

  • University-Industry Collaboration: Bridging the gap between academic knowledge and the entrepreneurship ecosystem and investors.

  • Digital Transformation: Supporting young talents to contribute to the country's digital transformation goals.

  • Career Opportunity: Enabling students to gain a close insight into the informatics sector before graduation.

Major Event to be Held on May 8th

Vice President of TBD, Gökhan Erzurumluoğlu, highlighted that this event stands as a key component of the efforts conducted under the 'Informatics Island Cyprus' vision.

Erzurumluoğlu provided the following details concerning the competition:

  • Schedule: The 15th edition of the Young Minds New Ideas event is scheduled for May 8th, 2026.

  • Participants: Engineering faculty students from all universities in Cyprus.

  • Content: Students' graduation theses will be evaluated by a panel of expert jury members.

  • Opportunities: Students will be able to present their projects to investors and create career opportunities for their post-graduation.

During the meeting, former TBD Central Executive Board Member Ersin Taşçı and TBD Cyprus Representative Feridun Üstün also informed the participants about the technical process and content of the competition.

2026-01-26